We publish this in recognition of national police week, May 14-20.At noon on Friday, May 19, the 27th Annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony will take place on the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial site at the State Capitol grounds, corner of Pinckney and Mifflin Streets.

WI Dept of Justice photo

The Squire of All That is Holy made the point at the May 2 session of the Madison UnCommon Council that many people could be blamed for the death of Tony T. Robinson Jr., including the supplier of his drugs. Including the three young men with whom he partook the night of March 6, 2015. There were many enablers, including his dysfunctional parents, including Madison’s liberal-progressive-socialist excuse makers. But probably the least culpable was the officer who drew the short straw and responded to the urgent call of his three accomplices. Despite being in the prime of manhood, those three could not control Tony T.’s violence, could not stop his random attacks on complete strangers.

The officer could have stayed in his squad car while hearing a commotion at the top of the stairs. Was it another victim, perhaps to be hurtled down the stairs? Gotta wait in my nice and warm squad car. Gotta wait for back-up. Or do should I save a life potentially in mortal danger?

The officer braved the situation alone when, emerging from the shadows like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, an enraged man fueled by psychedelics attacked him. One thing a police officer cannot allow is for a crazy man prone to violence to take control of his service weapon.

Madison, teach your children well. Many can be blamed, but none more than Tony T. Robinson Jr. The Madison police officer is lucky to be alive.

Not so lucky were 64 other police officers around the nation last year. The FBI analyzed most of those incidents “to determine what may have influenced the assailants and contributed to the attacks.”

What follows is an excerpt from that FBI Assailant Study. Tell me if it doesn’t remind you of a certain Madison miscreant and a city government that has turned him into a Leftist hero.

Chill Wind on law enforcement

Since 2014 multiple high-profile police incidents across the country have occurred that law enforcement officials believe influenced the mindset and behaviors of the assailants. Specifically, the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO, in 2014 and the social disturbances that followed, initiated a movement that some perceived made it socially acceptable to challenge and discredit the actions of law enforcement. This attitude was fueled by the narrative of police misconduct and excessive force perpetuated through politicians and the media.

Nearly every police official interviewed agreed that for the first time, law enforcement not only felt that their national political leaders publicly stood against them, but also that the politicians’ words and actions signified that disrespect to law enforcement was acceptable in the aftermath of the Brown shooting. Police officials across the country agreed that while the majority of Americans still support law enforcement, this change in social mores allows assailants to become more emboldened to question, resist, and fight law enforcement.

Due to the coverage of the high-profile police incidents, it appears that immediately following the incidents, assailants were constantly exposed to a singular narrative by news organizations and social media of police misconduct and wrong-doing. … Without law enforcement and elected officials providing an alternative narrative, assailants developed a distrust of law enforcement, and felt emboldened and justified in using violence against police.

‘Turnstile justice system’

Law enforcement officials across the country stated that justice reform acts, especially laws de-criminalizing drugs and reducing penalties for narcotics offenses, have the effect of releasing criminals at a faster and higher rate than ever before. Assailants who experience this “turnstile justice system” know they are going to receive a lighter sentence than they would have in the past and will be released early, if incarcerated at all. This may lead to a belief by the assailant that consequences no longer exist for criminal acts, especially drug offenses.

Due to both of these factors, upon release, assailants with a history of drug offenses were more prone to be noncompliant while under the influence. In addition, police officers stated that an assailant who has entered into a –drug-induced psychosis that causes desperation and paranoia is more willing to shoot an officer to stay out of jail. …

Afraid to police

The above-referenced factors have had the effect of “de-policing” in law enforcement agencies across the country, which the assailants have exploited. Departments — and individual officers — have increasingly made the conscious decision to stop engaging in proactive policing. The intense scrutiny and criticism law enforcement has received in the wake of several high-profile incidents has caused several officers to 1) “become scared and demoralized” and 2) avoid interacting with the community.

This was highlighted when a police officer was beaten and slammed to the ground by a subject, and the officer was afraid to shoot the subject because of the fear of’ community backlash. The officer informed the superintendent that the officer chose not to shoot because the officer didn’t want his/her “family or the department to have to go through the scrutiny the next day on the national news.”

Law enforcement officials believe that defiance and hostility displayed by assailants toward law enforcement appears to be the new norm. … One officer explained that 10 years ago if a suspect was stopped in a high-risk neighborhood, that person either ran or complied. Now, suspects are refusing to comply with lawful orders believing that law enforcement can’t or won’t do anything about it. Defiance appears to be the rule. … Assailants understand that officers are less willing to escalate force, and therefore have become bolder and more brazen in their attempts to resist.

One Response to Policing in Madison & nationally is bucking fierce headwinds

The two take-a ways in this FBI report for me follow and I see happening in Madison already.

Nearly every police official interviewed agreed that for the first time, law enforcement not only felt that their national political leaders publicly stood against them, but also that the politicians’ words and actions signified that disrespect to law enforcement was acceptable in the aftermath of the Brown shooting.

Police officials across the country agreed that while the majority of Americans still support law enforcement, this change in social mores allows assailants to become more emboldened to question, resist, and fight law enforcement.

Asking for a friend

Mike Huckabee asks: What would a federal judge do if Jim Acosta challenged him in his courtroom, argued and refused to give up the microphone when a bailiff tried to retrieve it?

Unmet needs?

‘Got anything for us?’

MidTown 8:25 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — Officers met with a victim (26-year-old AAM) who reported being approached by two AAMs, one AAF and one WF (possibly all juveniles) as he was waiting for a bus. The victim stated the “juveniles” asked him if he had anything for them. The victim said he referred to them as “kids” which caused the two AAM’s to batter him. The suspects fled. The victim sustained visible injuries, including a chipped tooth.

Someone (could) DID get hurt like this!

11:35 p.m. Nov. 17 — A Fitchburg police officer spotted a Subaru Forrester that was listed as stolen through MPD. The vehicle took off when a stop was initiated. The vehicle ended up crashing into an unoccupied house near Allied Dr, located within the City of Madison. The house sustained heavy damage and the vehicle was totaled. All three occupants were transported to the hospital.

The suspect driver was a 16-year-old AAM, whose injuries were unknown at the time of this entry. A 14-year-old AAF passenger sustained a broken arm. A 14-year-old AAM passenger had a fractured/dislocated hip and will be admitted for surgery. Fitchburg PD took the vehicle for evidence in their investigation and MPD took the crash investigation.

Even MORE school-to-prison at La Follette H.S.

Friday’s Disturbance — 3:44 pm. Nov. 16 — The La Follette High School Educational Resource Officer was outside monitoring students when a suspect (30-year-old AAF) began yelling threats from the street at school staff. The suspect’s daughter (14-year-old AAF) threw a water bottle at a group of students in front of the school and then fled with her mother in a vehicle. Officers performed a traffic stop on the vehicle and while officers attempted to detain the suspects, an additional passenger/suspect (16-year-old AAF) was arrested for interfering. The 30-year-old suspect was conveyed to the Dane County Jail while the teenagers were cited for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Tuesday’s disturbance — 9:55 a.m. Nov. 13 — School Resource Officer (SRO) at La Follette High School asked for additional resources as a disturbance was breaking out in the commons area of the school.